Why arnt Rainbow Boas a good first snake?
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No Expert, I've read they can be quite picky, Tendency to not eat. But then again Its said about Royal's too. But i've had no problems.
Personally, I would not jump from such a beautiful, expensive snake for a first snake. I can't put my fingure on it why there not as good as say a cornsnake or king, But everybody has there own oponion.
I personally chose a milksnake, Perfect first snake, still as gorgous as a Rainbow Boa. Wait for others to say, I may be wrong - Most probably.
P.s. Carm Down, We're active But not super fast 7 minutes active..
Personally, I would not jump from such a beautiful, expensive snake for a first snake. I can't put my fingure on it why there not as good as say a cornsnake or king, But everybody has there own oponion.
I personally chose a milksnake, Perfect first snake, still as gorgous as a Rainbow Boa. Wait for others to say, I may be wrong - Most probably.
P.s. Carm Down, We're active But not super fast 7 minutes active..
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543 Posts
It is because they are more sensitive to their conditions, particularly humidity. Brazilians need to be kept at 70-80%.
Other "beginner snakes" like corns and royals are less sensitive to humidity, although i wouldn't say royals are beginner snakes due to pottential feeding proplems. It is very hard for a beginner to deal with a non-feeder, been there, done that. Rainbows tend to be good eaters.
Duzzie
Other "beginner snakes" like corns and royals are less sensitive to humidity, although i wouldn't say royals are beginner snakes due to pottential feeding proplems. It is very hard for a beginner to deal with a non-feeder, been there, done that. Rainbows tend to be good eaters.
Duzzie
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We've only just recently got back into the reptile scene and have owned a boa and a royal for some time now. We plan on geting a rainbow boa with our xmas money as there stunning.
Id say our boa is easier then our royal as he is less stressfull and never misses a meal. Though our Royal is pretty easy too, just doesnt do alot.
What sort of rainbow boa you after?
Id say our boa is easier then our royal as he is less stressfull and never misses a meal. Though our Royal is pretty easy too, just doesnt do alot.
What sort of rainbow boa you after?
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The thing with first snakes is basic husbandry,i.e correct set up, how to handle them, how to spot if anything may be wrong with them, feeding times , size of prey, sheding issues etc. etc. etc. and it doesn't matter how much you read up on them in books and on forums (remember forums can give good and bad advice) there is no substitute for hands on experiance. i got my first snake (yellow rat snake) about 10 years ago and believe me I had been researching for probably 5 years on and off before I aquired it. I dont mean everyone should research for years, but my point is I probably learnt more in the first 6 months of keeping the animal, than I did with all the research. and that was just basic husbandry. Now if we take the Rainbow, on top of the basic husbandry they require a very high relative humidity.Which if you have had no experiance with attaining and maintaining high humidities can be a little more work than you expect. So put that on top of the massive learning curve needed just for basic husbandry and you have your work cut out. I guess its a case of dont bite of more than you can chew.There is a lot to think about even with snakes that are so called good beginner snakes. Im not judging your competancy or aptitude to learn but we have to remember its the snakes welfare that must come first and if you have kept a "beginner"snake already then when the more demanding husbandry comes into effect your much more likely to get it right 
Re: Beginner snakes????
What is a beginners snake? I have had a 9ft puppy dog of a yellow anaconda and yet a corn snake that wanted to bite me every time I put my hand in the viv. Each snake comes with it's own climate requirements and must be adhered to religously. RB's need a high humidity but thats not a problem to create.
What is a beginners snake? I have had a 9ft puppy dog of a yellow anaconda and yet a corn snake that wanted to bite me every time I put my hand in the viv. Each snake comes with it's own climate requirements and must be adhered to religously. RB's need a high humidity but thats not a problem to create.
Think it all depends on the individual person,if you do your reading up and buy one from a decent place and have the correct set up you shouldn't go too wrong.I've meet people who already have boa's yet couldn't look after a rat snake properly?! Only you can tell if the type of snake is beyond your capabilities so be honest with yourself and if you think you can care for a brb properly then read up and get one,if not then start with something less demanding.
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Bingo. My thoughts exactly. Although a CRB would be more forgiving than a BRB.400runner said:
As with any animal, temprement will vary amongst individuals to a certain degree. An agressive snake does not make a bad snake. Any potention owner has to have enough cop on to realise that the snake might bite and take the time to get used to the snakes behavior and to learn a bit about the species before getting a snake. Anyone who just puts their hand in a tank to pick up the snake on day one without taking the time to observe the snakes character deserves to get tagged, in my opinion. Any snake has the potential to bite and should be respected with time given to learn the character of the snake.
Duzzie
I got a CRB as my first snake I read and got the proper set all the good stuff and struggled with the temp’s and humidity for about a month or two luckily I got a hold of it.Then everything worked out. I would have to agree it would be best to get something easier to keep to get the general understanding and of how to do things ,then just jump into something that requires you to be on the money.
I have only just got my first snakes, two corns, and the amount there is to learn is scary (only because i want everything to be spot on for the good of my snakes). My boyfriend has said he will get me a BRB for my birthday, and yes I am so tempted but alas I know I have yet so much to learn so will wait.
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First of all, I love my Brazilian rainbow boa. he is however a royal pain in the neck when it comes to feeding, although iv managed to get him feeding ok now he went for about 6 months without eating a thing. He is also the first snake that ever bit me. On the plus side, they are absolutely gorgeous, they are relatively active in the evening, they seem to enjoy being handled and once you get the hang of the high humidity they are actually quite a hardy snake. I wouldn’t recommend one as a first snake though due to their requirements and their nippy nature as younglings.
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Yeah mines nippy, the first time I've been bitten and I can't call it a 'feeding response'! I'm OK with that, it's a good thing to get used to while the snake is small :wink: May have put me off if it was my first snake though.
Maintaining the humidity is now second nature, and no problem with feeding.
Maintaining the humidity is now second nature, and no problem with feeding.
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